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What strikes me most profoundly is that the work required to recover from this disaster and prepare for the future involves so many fields of science, from public health to energy to civil engineering to meteorology to communications to computer science. Science and technology centers are already reaching out to future scientists, policymakers and citizens who will confront our changing planet and the challenges of living on it. Adversity often leads to progress and this could significantly involve science centers.
Deborah Lee Rose
Howtosmile.org and Lawrence Hall of Science
On Oct 31, 2012, at 2:19 PM, Charles Carlson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Martin,
> Thanks for the first hand update and thoughts. It sounds devastating for many shoreline areas. I don't think there's a realistic way to have a discussion about an event like this that so broadly transforms our notions of reality at this juncture. For the time being, we march and will continue until we can march no more.
>
> Reflecting back: New Orleans is perhaps safer than it was, but they haven't experienced another Katrina either. And each year continued life in New Orleans becomes more perilous not less.
>
> Last year, there was Irene and this year Sandy. Given the on-going climatic changes and their potential effects on the earth's environment, the human and economic losses are going to mount and the lessons to be learned hard and tragic.
>
> Here on the west coast, we're basically waiting for our turn, be it earthquake or sea rise, and they're not questions of "if," but "when". Each with its own ever increasing probability.
>
> During the 50's there was a big push to implement fallout shelters so that we could survive a nuclear attack, along with school drills that had us planning to depart the playgrounds for the "safety of our homes." These proposed public safety measures dragged on for years with the full faith and weigh of the government and popular support. Until people realized the folly of such plans and recommendations, and the cold hard economic realities of these recommendations manifest. Not many would have survived,and those that did may have wished they hadn't.
>
> We're at a similar juncture now. Given what we know, there is no reason to rebuild the New York and Jersey shores the way they were. And there no reason to be making continued social investments without the best of human knowledge and intelligence. But that's not the likely way things work.
>
> C
>
> These opinions are mine and don't represent those of my institution.
>
> Sent from Charlie's iPad
>
> Berkeley, CA
> Mobile 510-499-8086
> Skypein: (510) 984-3543
>
> [log in to unmask]
> Exploratorium
> 3601 Lyon St.
> San Francisco, CA 94123
>
>
> On Oct 31, 2012, at 12:53 PM, Martin Weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>> *****************************************************************************
>>
>> My wife and I and our families, and I think my colleagues at the Hall of
>> Science, have been very lucky compared to others. The storm was devastating
>> to NJ, NY City and Long Island as it hit us directly. Power is out all over
>> the area far more than the estimated 2 million homes. Two major hospitals
>> in NYC, Bellevue and NYU each have had to move more than 250 patients to
>> other hospitals due to back up generator failures. More than115 homes were
>> destroyed in a conflagration in Queens fanned by winds in excess of 65 mph;
>> the largest residential fire since 1865. They are just beginning to pump
>> water out of various subway and tunnels and I think they are optimistic
>> about how long that is going to take; then repairing salt water damage. Con
>> Edison is just beginning to access damage, determine what it will take to
>> repair their infrastructure and get electricity to the lower 1/4 of
>> Manhattan. And then there is NJ and LI; both have extensive water damages,
>> power outages and the potential for water borne illnesses.
>>
>> The big problem facing us is planning for upgrading an infrastructure that
>> is aging rapidly in the face of potential 'super storms" and other
>> unidentified and identified problems. Though i think engineers have been
>> pointing out potential problems for some time. Unfortunately I don't see
>> the political will to make the difficult decisions about our infrastructure
>> that need to be made not only here in the NE but across the country. We
>> have just let things go to far.
>>
>> Martin
>>
>> --
>> –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
>> Martin Weiss, PhD
>> Senior Scientist
>> New York Hall of Science
>> mweiss at nyscience.org
>> cell 347-460-1858
>> desk 718 595 9156
>>
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